Best Diet for a Baby on Solid Foods Includes fat-fat-fat!

This blog has been quiet lately because, although I enjoy writing and find I need to do it as a way to maintain overall mental well-being, writing cannot be my main priority. My son’s well-being comes first, and my own meditation practice comes right after it.

It took us three worry-filled weeks to determine that our son had Toddler’s Diarrhea. I am here to tell you: less is more when it comes to adult diets, but not a baby’s. It seemed intuitively obvious that our son should eat what we eat, only better mashed, and perhaps with a little Happy Bellies probiotic rice cereal mixed in. We were dead wrong in that assumption. Our brown rice and veggies and ample servings of fruit were deficient in both fat and protein. We can do with “nothing extra,” but our little guy need plenty extra. To wit, 35%-55% of a baby’s caloric intake on solid food should be calories from fat. Fail to give him that, and fail to provide enough protein, and he gets diarrhea.

The pediatrician prescribed heavy cream. Imagine that! It helped.

Newly resolved to take a more active role in my infant son’s nutrition, I am in love with this book: Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron. I am not in a position to summarize it, as I’m still reading it. It is a helpful primer for understanding what a baby needs as she begins to take solid foods. It offers a ton of recipes for food and snacks, from home-made yogurt to health baby crackers. Dietary recommendations for toddlers are included. So are a wealth of handy tips for preparing wholesome food. Her reliance on a microwave is our only point of departure: Yaron swears by hers, and I detest the things.

Particularly interesting are the ideas for activities and crafts for parents and toddlers on a budget. This book just might have it all....